BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WAND) — A faith and community based organization has filed formal comments with the Environmental Protection Agency in an effort to revoke Archer Daniels Midland's CO2 sequestration permit.
Illinois People’s Action (IPA) is asking the EPA to take "decisive and immediate action against ADM’s violations, which have put the citizens of Decatur and surrounding areas at risk."
The concerns regard possible leaks at the sites of ADM's carbon sequestration wells in Decatur. According to a statement made by the company earlier this month, the possible leak of brine, or salty water, was detected at a depth of around 5,000 feet. ADM said that the EPA was notified and additional tests were being conducted.
In the comments filed, the IPA urges the agency to revoke ADM's operating permit at the Decatur facility and deny future permit applications.
"ADM’s Decatur facility has been presented as a national state-of-art plant for deep injection of CO2," said a release from the IPA. "However, in light of the recent accidents, local governments are adopting resolutions seeking a state ban on the process under the Mahomet Aquifer."
Local communities and governments have expressed concerns regarding the effects of carbon sequestration on the Mahomet Aquifer. Earlier this month, the Champaign County Board Environment and Land Committee voted to establish a moratorium that would stop any carbon sequestration over the next twelve months. Both Mayor Diane Marlin of Urbana and Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen of Urbana expressed support for the moratorium.
Over the summer, Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) filed a bill to ban carbon sequestration over the Mahomet Aquifer.
An ADM representative gave the following statement regarding the comments filed by Illinois People’s Action:
"We have not reviewed these comments, but I can tell you that we continue to work closely with the U.S. EPA regarding recent developments with our CCS monitoring wells, which occurred at a depth of approximately 5,000 feet and pose no threat to the surface or groundwater, nor to public health. We have added updates to our webpage so that anyone can be kept up to date. We continue to be confident in the safety, security and effectiveness of CCS as a greenhouse gas mitigation technology and its potential to bring new industries and economic opportunities to the entire state of Illinois."
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